Founded in 2006, the micro-blogging site Twitter has transformed into a professional tool to communicate, connect and network. And with nearly 80 million “tweeters,” Twitter has become a major tool for Internet marketers to get their product in front of just about any niche market under the sun.

But with so many people vying for attention, whether you are tweeting for your own personal blog or for business, it is important to use a custom-designed Twitter profile. Sure, Twitter provides some very nice pre-set backgrounds to choose from, but they won’t separate you or your business from the crowd.

Think of your Twitter page like a business card. When other Twitter users (AKA “tweeple“) come across your page, you want to tell them as much about you or your business in as short amount of time as possible. One of the best ways to do that is to brand yourself literally AND visually, which as a motion graphics designer is my area of expertise…

Allow me to explain what makes an effective custom Twitter background and some basics on how to create one:

• Who are you?
  Creating an identity and keeping it consistent throughout all facets of marketing is imperative, which is why your Twitter background should look and feel the same as your company’s website, blog or any other form of digital communication. Therefore, you should incorporate your company’s logo, colors and graphical elements that would be recognizable to viewers who are familiar with your brand identity. You might also consider incorporating any well-known tag line that is associated with your brand.
• Give us your Mugshot.
  The image you display as your avatar (this is your profile picture) is generally the first point of reference to your Twitter profile. It is important to use an image that tells others what you are about. Think about it, you wouldn’t use an image of your cat if you were a freelance photographer. Instead, you would want an image of yourself holding a camera. Using an image that represents you or your business will help build trust and personal relationships with followers.
• Who are you going to call…er…contact?
  This is probably the most important facet of a good custom Twitter background. When someone stumbles across your page, you want to present your contact information. This could be done in a number a ways, but the two most important elements are your website/blog URL and an e-mail address. It is important to spell the link addresses properly since the background is an image and does not contain hyperlinks.You might also include links to your other social media profiles.

Now, you are probably thinking to yourself, “I have absolutely no knowledge with professional design software.” Not to worry; there are a number of free design tools available at your fingertips. All you need to do is some research. For example, Photobie is a great place to start. This software can be downloaded for free and contains basic features that will enable you to create a custom Twitter background.

Once you have chosen the right software that fits your skill set, there are two important things to keep in mind:

1. Dimensions
   When designing your Twitter background, there are a few guidelines to keep in mind. The first is the dimension of the image. To be safe, you will want to set your image size to 1280 x 1024 pixels. When you upload your background to Twitter, it centers it on the left-hand side. This makes it challenging to determine the screen real estate with which you have to work.. To be safe, I suggest you keep your copy, photos or logos within 150 pixels. This will allow users with a 15-inch monitor to view your design the way you intended, because Twitter will push your design to the left. If your design exceeds 150 pixels, then you run the risk of having your Twitter feed cover your valuable information:

   

2. File Size
   The second thing to keep in mind is your file size. This is determined by the amount of design elements. For example, if you use one large photograph as your background image, then your file size will be considerably larger. Ideally, you will want to keep your design under 200k. This will decrease any loading time needed when someone visits your page. Of course, you can go as large as 800k, but a faster load time will make it more “user-friendly.”

So there you have it—in the rapidly growing “Twittersphere,” it is important to stand out among the rest by using a unique background that is tailored to you or your business. You would never walk up to someone and hand out a business card with pretty pink flowers without any text would you? So why would you use a generic Twitter background?

So get in there and let people know what you or your business is all about. You do want people to remember you…right?

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